Windsor Locks High School - Herald Yearbook (Windsor Locks, CT)

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28 THE HIGH SCHOOL HEKALI) FIFTY YEARS OF CHANGE Graduates of 1951 are today reaping the benefits of the progress made in the first half of this twentieth century. Only a few will be fortunate enough to live to see the next century, but many of these graduates will have a share in the building and shaping of the progress in the next fifty years. Thus we hope that we of this generation will assume our responsibilities and do as well if not better than those of past generations in advancing the arts, the sciences, the humanities, and the policies of our government. Let us consider the great changes made in the relatively short course of fifty years. Today we may safely say that 1900 was the turning point to a modern era. We are all familiar with the inventions which have made life easier and more greatly enjoyed by the masses—radio, movies, television, plastics and synthetics, electronics and more advanced methods of transportation. The entire structure of labor and capital which once made the rich man richer and the poor man poorer has changed. Today, through legislation, many laws pro¬ vide for the protection, health, and safety of a worker. Some of the greatest changes in labor laws have been in those which concern minor children and their employ¬ ment. For centuries, it had been customary for a child to be hired out for a term of years for little more than his keep in order that he might learn a trade. This period was called an apprenticeship and the system afforded some protection to the young worker because seldom were they apprenticed until sixteen years of age and then they were kept in close contact with the employer who was expected to look after their welfare. With the introduction of the factory system, working conditions became most unfavorable to the young employees, some of whom were only five years old and who worked from sunrise to dark. Early in the nineteen hundreds, legislation was passed which generally prohibited child labor. Now most stores reejuire that chil¬ dren attend full time school until sixteen years of age. Another great improvement since the early part of the century has been made in transportation. Our elders will no doubt remember when a trip to a neighboring city was an all-day outing. The roads were not well paved and the early automobiles were hardly more satisfactory than Old Dobbin and the carriage. Now in a matter of a few hours, we may be carried from one city to another in the luxurious splendor of a streamlined plane. Also, the farmer’s life was once a weary round of duty, day after day. Now, because of the great strides in the manufacture of modern farm machinery and equip¬ ment, his life, too, has become less dreary and full of toil. Furthermore, improved manufacturing and merchandising methods have en¬ abled the common worker to secure a higher standard of living. Mass production has proved that the more goods you produce, the less it costs to produce them. The more wages people earn, the greater becomes their buying power. Thus th : s eco¬ nomic law has proved that it pays better to produce the same sort of food, clothing, and equipment for everyone than to produce luxury items for the few and third-rate goods for the masses. i r [ I I r r r r o co Page

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I I J J J r j j J j r j j j j j j r THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 27 Graduation Night Program SALUTATORY OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE GRADUATE Parents, teachers, members of the board of education, and friends: I would like to welcome you here tonight. We all know that without your help we would not be graduating tonight and so we express our thanks. It is generally agreed that young people have a better chance to succeed in America than in any other country, and for that reason we of the graduating class should be thankful. Tonight as we leave school, many of us plan to go on to places of higher learning, or perhaps some of us may even be employed by Uncle Sam, but the majority of us will probably seek employment in business, industry, the mechanical trades. First let us consider prospects or chances for young people now-a-days. We realize of course that most of the better jobs require a college education or some sort of specializ-ed training. Thus it behooves us to get as much education as possible. In our country we have the advantage of free public education from the first grade to the senior year in high school. Then for those boys and girls who are not happy in academic high schools, our bigger school systems offer trade schools in which the boy or girl can learn some useful occupation. No matter in which state one lives, from a small state like Rhode Island to a large state like Texas, a young person can find a school to fit his needs. Scholarships are offered by the majority of the colleges to further encourage the brilliant student of moderate circumstances to continue his education. Also, some schools offer athletic scholarships to boys who have exceptional ability in sports. Thus if a pupil really wishes to further his edu¬ cation after high school, there are many opportunities of which he may take advantage. After the student has graduated from high school, what then? The graduate starts looking for a job. What types of work are open? There are the professions, but these require special schooling or a college degree. Another field of opportunity is the business world. There are many branches in this field; such as advertising, journalism, designing and secretarial work. One other line of work attractive to high school graduates is that of the skilled laborer who does such jobs as masonry, carpentry, and plumbing. This type of work also requires some special training. Therefore, to succeed in any field every kind of job requires training and the chance for employment and steady advance in the job. Where else but in this great country of ours is there such opportunity for young people to work and get ahead! Not one country can equal ours. At this time of stress, we should all learn to appreciate our country all the more. If we ever started to count the great opportunities we all have, young and old here in America, we would never have the time to complain about the petty faults and injustices of life. Rather, let us all thank God for our great country, the Land of Opportunity. Constance Drumm 31 as CM Page

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I I T I I r r j j j j j THE HIGH SCHOOL HERALD 29 Do not think that there is nothing more to be done to better ourselves in every way. I believe that we have hardly started, unless a total war smashes our whole system, as it has in many other countries. Science is still in its youth; a single new discovery like that of atomic power, if used for peaceable means, could later help to make 1951 seem as primitive as 1900 seems to some today. If we can keep our wits about us, our communities can be far cleaner, more convenient, and comfortable for every man, woman, and child who lives in them. Thus the graduates of 1951, in schools all over this nation, need to be serious, thoughtful individuals, for they face grave responsibilities and tremendous tasks to make the last half of this century as progressive as has been the first half. Dorothy Manning ’51 OUR JOB AS CITIZENS One of the most important duties of the graduate of this year is to make sure that he prepares himself to accept the responsibilities of a good citizen of this country. Our land needs true, loyal citizens today, more than ever before, and she may rightfully expect them from the young people she has educated in her free public schools. As Thomas Paine once wrote: ' These are the times that try men’s souls. The summer soldier and the sunshine patriot will, in this crisis, shrink from the service of their country; but he that stands it noiv, deserves the love and thanks of man and woman.” Citizenship, unlike many other goals, is a goal which requires planning, not only in the future but also in the present. Now that we are leaving high school, we shall have a far greater task ahead of us as citizens in a system of government which offers us more freedom, more rights, more advantages, more opportunity and more happiness than any other country in the whole world. To be sure, these privileges require more work on our part than any other type of citizenship in the world, yet we feel they are worth it. Here in America, the individual citizen is the big wheel ' ' in the machinery of our government. The law is whatever the majority o. the citizens decide. We can turn on our radios knowing that what we hear does not necessarily agree with the opinion in high government circles. We can tele¬ phone a friend and express ourselves as we desire, for we know that no secret police are listening. This is American democracy. If there are any imperfections in our way of life, it is because of the lack of full responsibility on our part as citizens. What can be more harmful to a democ¬ racy than the evasion of our responsibilities? For example, half of the qualified voters in our country fail to go to the polls and vote in important elections. About three million American children of school age are not even getting an elementary education, let alone a secondary education. Are these any reasons why we as citizens should sit back and allow our way of life to be challenged? The flaws in our democratic system are the result of our own negligence and lack of interest—not the fault of the system itself. The government merely exists to serve the people. Our chief task, therefore, is to live successfully with other people and to work together in our common life. Whether we shall be a success or a failure depends on how well we plan and how well we use the means we have for carrying out that job. cn Page